1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing device, a headphone and a reproducing method which may be favorably applicable, for example, in the case that one person (assumed to be a male) talks with another person with a headphone fitted on his head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, a reproducing device and a headphone of the types having a so-called noise cancelling function for picking up external sounds using a microphone attached to the headphone and outputting a sound which is out of phase with the external sounds to reduce sounds (noise) from the outside are commercially available. Incidentally, in the following description, the noise cancelling function will be referred to as the NC function and the microphone will be referred to as the mike.
Use of a reproducing device and a headphone of the above mentioned types may make it possible for a user to listen to the music or the like of clear tone quality in which external noise has been reduced.
Incidentally, in the case that a person calls out to a user and the user intends to talk with the person while the user is listening to the music with a headphone as mentioned above fitted on his head, the voice of the person may be also regarded as the noise from the outside and reduced because the NC function works, the voice of the person may be hardly caught and hence it may become difficult to talk with the person.
Therefore, in the above mentioned situation, for example, the user may remove the headphone from his head to talk with the person. In addition, a headphone which is provided with a mute button used to temporarily stop working of the NC function and output of a reproduced sound so as to listen to external sounds may be also available. When a headphone as mentioned above is used, a user may be permitted to talk with a person with the headphone fitted on his head by depressing the mute button.
However, it may be troublesome for the user to remove the headphone from his head and to depress the mute button each time. In particular, in the case that the user's hands are full of baggage, the user may take the trouble to put the baggage on the ground and then to remove the headphone from his head or to depress the mute button.
Thus, in a reproducing device and a headphone as mentioned above, in order to improve their handiness in talking with a person, it is desirable for the user to talk with a person with the headphone fitted on his head and with no operation of any button.
Therefore, a headphone configured to permit a user to talk with a person who is present in the front of the user with the headphone fitted on his head and with no operation of any button by outputting a sound generated from the front without turning the volume thereof low is proposed, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-193420.